This Saturday, the Six Nations will begin in Cardiff, but in our hearts, it has already begun. As we met in Abergavenny to commemorate Eddie Butler’s life, the only thing lacking was a game to help calm our emotions as we sang Cwm Rhondda and recalled a “contemporary renaissance man,” as Clare Balding characterized him.
At least Eddie’s spirit lives on. Because in the coming weeks, whether we hear the anthems or see an aerial stadium image, we will hear that voice and be reminded of the sport-as-art montages he specialized in. If this year’s Six Nations soundtrack will sound slightly different, the back catalog of the bard of Monmouthshire will endure.
For those traveling to the Principality Stadium for this year’s opening match against Ireland, for instance, go online and read Eddie’s fantastic description – is lyrical Welsh rugby rap a genre? – of his home nation on important international days:
Match night under the Welsh sky
Fueled by the Welsh pies and fries
By Welsh ale and the why, why, whys…
Watch it in its entirety before attempting to argue that the Six Nations is merely another tournament. Eddie, like Bill McLaren before him, could make us understand that the Six Nations is about much more than just the scoreboard. The presence of so many individuals, including Sir Gareth Edwards, Jonathan Davies, and his sobbing former Pontypool teammates, in Abergavenny’s Market Hall, emphasized this spiritual truth.
Eddie Butler deserves a thrilling Six Nations
When Wales won the grand slam in 2005, it was “under spring weather so hot that it could fry a crocus.” Then there was his introduction to a 2001 column about the Six Nations’ unpredictability. “As soon as you use phrases like mouth-watering’ in front of the Six Nations, you can be certain that the food will become tasteless. I believe I almost typed “holy” before it once. May the Lord protect me from ever attempting to associate Him with the stunningly impure world of rugby. Jesus.”
Or how about these sage insights regarding the vital importance of scrums at the highest level? “A receding mob leaves its occupants with jelly-like legs. And a loose-headed player with jelly-like legs is just what the France midfield needs.” Or this gloomy conclusion when Wales was gobbled up by the Irish, contrary to forecasts that the match would come down to the wire. “It was not. The Welsh pliers were incapable of even penetrating the plastic coating.”
Good old Edwardo. Even he may have found it difficult to pull any poetry from the current international rugby union’s reputational dumpster fire. If there was a standings table for under-pressure national unions, the competition for the wooden spoon would be heated. Accusations of sexism and misogyny in Wales and now in Scottish club rugby, corruption in France, ineptitude in England… the list is long and disheartening.
As a result, as a memorial to Eddie, this Six Nations must be an absolute barnburner. Rugby enthusiasts of all nations require new reasons to maintain their faith. This is too crucial a period in the history of the game for rugby to be soul-sapping and uninteresting, either as a spectacle or in terms of technical acumen.
Eddie is regrettably no longer available to comment on the most likely winner, although he would have enjoyed the prospect of a resurgent Wales and a few signs of recovery under Warren G. Or England eventually removing the mental chains imposed by their antipodean Lord Voldemort and replacing the groaning in the shires with something far more excited.
Rugby World Cup in France
On the other hand, he adored pronouncing French surnames and would have salivated at the prospect of Les Bleus becoming both consistent and intriguing. How he would have loved the Rugby World Cup in France later this year! The road trips, the stadiums, the brasseries, and possibly the voiceovers in a minimum of two or three languages.
However, he, like the rest of us, would also be admiring Ireland’s loose forwards – how excellent is Caelan Doris? – and expressing his continued gratitude. Even France will have to improve their performance in Dublin, where they have only triumphed once since 2011. Additionally, Ireland still possesses Johnny Sexton, while Garry Ringrose has been outstanding for Leinster recently. Assuming they win enough balls and that Sexton is healthy, their mental tenacity is unparalleled.
But hold tight. Even the improved Italy could steal a few victories. After playing at Twickenham, three of Scotland’s remaining four matches will be played at Murrayfield. It will be intriguing to see how long England and Wales benefit from the “new coach bounce.” Hopefully, it will be as unforgettable as yesterday’s event in Abergavenny, where everyone left with their hearts and souls restored. The voice of rugby may have passed on, but the sport he cherished continues to support us.
